In Practice: Parking Ministry July 09, 2007

When members and visitors pull into the Fellowship Church parking lot each weekend, they are met with the enthusiastic smiles and waves of our Parking Ministry Team. That same team welcomes church leaders who attend our Creative Church Conference in Grapevine each year, and they frequently comment on the friendly greeting they receive. (In fact, we even had a group from one church tell us that they tried various tactics to see if they could slip by the parkers unnoticed, but they couldn't dodge the watchful eyes of our volunteers.) And the question that usually follows is, "How can we do this at our church?" Logistics will vary with your setting, but here's a quick rundown of our volunteer Parking Ministry to get your gears turning:

What are the Parking Volunteer responsibilities?

• Greet and welcome all arriving cars in a friendly manner.
• Safely provide direction to all arriving cars.
• Sort cars by type of destination (handicapped, preschool, general).
• Greet attendees leaving cars as they walk to the church.
• Answer any questions from attendees
• General security of the parking lots (watching for bags or backpacks).
• Provide assistance to attendees that have car issues.
• Emergency evacuation of lots.

What equipment is provided for the Parking Volunteers?

The parking team has more than 550 traffic cones to use for traffic flow purposes, as well as several golf carts for transporation within the lots. Additionally, when volunteers report for duty they are provided with:

• Name badge
• Bright orange reflective vest
• Radio
• Traffic control flashlights for nighttime services
• Rain weather gear, if needed

How do volunteers communicate in the parking lots?

Each volunteer is equipped with a two-way radio. Plus, shots from the cameras in the parking lots are reviewed by a Guest Services/Parking Ministry team member, which aids coordination efforts.

How are new volunteers trained?

Each new volunteer is given a Guest Service - Parking Manual upon initial assignment. After an overview of the ministry, a Volunteer Coordinator provides them with a one-on-one assimilation to the parking lot activities and Parking Ministry responsibilities.